But Rory needed this. Needed to feel some semblance of control in a world that had stolen so much from him. And she… she needed it too.
Needed to surrender, to prove to herself that she could trust and that she could let someone in and still survive.
Why he was the first to make her feel this exposed and alive all at once she couldn’t explain. She didn’t even want to. She only knew that right here, right now, letting go was everything.
He leaned her back so she was lying on the couch, his body covering hers, her legs opening wide for him to slide between them.
They had too many clothes on. That was the first thing that had to be tackled.
Her hands went under his shirt, her fingers touching skin. Soft and firm making her hug him closer for the barest of moments. A touch of vulnerability she didn’t exhibit often.
He didn’t seem to notice, not with his hand pulling her shirt out of her jeans and sliding inside.
“You need to tell me to stop soon,” he said. “Or I’m going to end up carrying you to my bed.”
“I’m not telling you to stop,” she said.
The loss of his body on hers popped her disappointment button. She wouldn’t beg. Not anyone, not any man.
But she was damn close to it now.
He didn’t make her though. Just held his hand out for her to stand, then swung her into his arms, his lips returning to hers as he made his way to his room, his foot kicking the door shut behind him.
She hit the bed just as his body followed, pressing down on hers with a force that left no room for hesitation. This wasn’t going to be slow, sweet, or gentle. Tenderness had no place here, not for what they both needed.
Her hands shot up, gripped the bottom of his shirt, ripped it over his head in one swift motion and tossed it aside. At the same time, he pulled her top over her head sending a shiver running through her as his bare chest pressed closer.
She caught a glimpse of him kicking off his sneakers, and the heat between them flared higher, the air thick with desire and need, every movement a silent confession of what they’d both bit back from their lips.
She kicked off her shoes as she began unbuttoning her jeans, but his hands were faster, brushing hers aside and yanking them down in one swift motion along with her underwear.
“Catch up,” she murmured, her eyes tracing the lines of his chest, her fingers itching to claim the hard planes of muscle beneath her touch. She’d promised the next time she’d undo hisjeans herself and she’d do that. They were hungry and desperate for this.
The moment he was left in his boxers, her eyes lit up with a spark of triumph in her gaze. She’d called that one right.
He didn’t hesitate. He lunged onto the bed, sweeping her into his arms, his mouth finding hers in the same frenzied dance from before while his fingers worked expertly to unhook her bra, peeled it away and left her bare beneath him.
As disappointed as she was when his mouth left hers, the feeling didn’t last. His lips found a puckered nipple, drawing it in and teasing with a slow, demanding suck.
His fingers discovered the other, traced over the peak, his thumb flicking in a rhythm that made her shiver and moan.
She arched into him desperate for more contact, unwilling to endure the teasing of foreplay much longer. She needed him closer. Needed him here as every nerve was on fire.
“Rory,” she growled. “Don’t make me wait.”
Her hands slid into the waistband of his boxers, cupping his ass and pulling him impossibly closer. If he wasn’t going to give her what she wanted, she’d take matters into her own hands.
He caught the hint immediately, slid down toward her, his tongue leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.
“I like what you’ve got going on here,” he whispered, his eyes locked on the apex between her thighs.
She’d never been one to shave it all off. That was too simple, too ordinary. Instead, she was neatly trimmed, a deliberate action that spoke of confidence, intention, and ownership, not some afterthought.
“Show me how much,” she said, her voice low, daring, and ready to run the show.
He dove in face first...literally.
His tongue out to lap her up, taste her all, let her know he wasn’t playing around.
